The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to panels for combustors and, more particularly, to panels for combustors having recessed rails.
A combustor of a gas turbine engine may be configured and required to burn fuel in a minimum volume. Such configurations may place substantial heat load on the structure of the combustor. Such heat loads may dictate that special consideration is given to structures which may be configured as heat shields or panels configured to protect the walls of the combustor, with the heat shields being air cooled. Even with such configurations, excess temperatures at various locations may occur leading to oxidation, cracking, and high thermal stresses of the heat shields or panels. As such, impingement and convective cooling of panels of the combustor wall may be used. Convective cooling may be achieved by air that is trapped between the panels and a shell of the combustor. Impingement cooling may be a process of directing relatively cool air from a location exterior to the combustor toward a back or underside of the panels. Leakage of impingement cooling air may occur through or between adjacent panels at gaps that exist between the panels. However, ingestion of air from the combustor (e.g., hot air) may be forced through the gap, which may lead to increased thermal stresses at the gap.